Bloodstripes wrote:Can anyone explain when someone would want to swap out the ammo in their bursts?
At max skills+mindlink in a command ship (best duration bonus), the duration is 129s.
At max skills, the min time between bursts is 60s cycle time + 30s reload time = 90s.
You can't run more than one burst off of a single module:
- 2 bursts off of one module would require a duration of 180s.
- 3 bursts off of 2 modules is almost doable, but you're still short a few seconds, even at max skills. Assuming an even stagger of 45 seconds between modules means you get a gap time (i.e. time when a burst is not being applied to fleet members) of 5 seconds for each burst (practicing on SiSi I've found that the combination of lag, ticks, and pilot error means that this is more like 7-10 seconds of gap time). Even if that gap time is acceptable, it still means that you have a really long "build up" period for your fleet as your bursts start applying. Burst 1 is applied instantly, burst 2 has to wait 45 seconds (!) and burst 3 has to wait 90 seconds (!!). Also keep in mind that this whole thing requires Command Ships V and a mindlink -- it's pretty bad with CSIV and unworkable without the mindlink.
- 4 bursts off of 3 modules isn't doable due to the type restrictions on bursts (i.e. info bursts can't load armor ammo).
I also can't think of very good situations where you'd want to change from one burst to another mid-fight. If you have a rep-focused fleet, you want the rep boost. I can't think what the enemy would bring on field that would make you want to switch to buffer or resists, and vice-versa. Maybe some of the skirm or info links could be useful to swap between (by default use the sig radius decrease, refit to prop mode bonus if you need to chase down a kitey fleet or something), but that 90 second delay is going to make reloads....hard. In most skirmishes the fight will be over before your burst reloads.
Given these two things, combined with the fact that it's MUCH easier to stack boosts from multiple ships, I think most fleets will just bring multiple ships (1-3 command dessies for small stuff, 2-5 command ships for big stuff, rip T3s), each with just their base # of burst modules, that they never change the ammo on.
I dunno, this feels like a gameplay mechanic that no one will actually use. =\
Someone actually gets it.